I recently got the privilege to see an exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago that I’ve wanted to see for months. The Art of the Brick showcased Lego sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya.
Here are some of the most incredible sculptures I saw:
To learn more about this exhibit and to buy tickets, please visit The Museum of Science & Industry.
A few weeks ago, my family and I were at the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) to view the Christmas Around the World exhibit. The Christmas trees are decorated by volunteers and “represent holiday traditions from cultures around the globe.” They are quite beautiful and something you really need to see with your own eyes to believe. The amount of work that goes into decorating each one of these Christmas trees is quite remarkable.
While walking through the museum, we also stumbled across an exhibit called, The Art of the Bicycle. This exhibit examines the history of the bicycle and pays close attention to its design elements, which were meticulously folded into the construction and practicality of the bicycle over the years. This exhibit was equal parts fascinating and whimsical.
Check out my photos below for more:
If you’re in the Chicagoland area, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry to check out the Art of the Bicycle exhibit. Happy Holiday’s everybody!
About a week and a half ago, I was in NYC with my family and we stopped at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a day of fun. While there, we saw the exhibit, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.” It is about the place where old-school fashion techniques meet technology. It is also about how one technique isn’t better than the other, rather, how both traditional fashion techniques and new techniques in fashion using technology can complement each other. What I found most fascinating about the exhibit was watching the production of the pieces, the hand-beading and stitching, and the intention behind each piece. Great stuff!
Here are some of the most striking pieces I saw:
If in NYC, I urge you to check this exhibit out. It is quite beautiful.
I find that viewing beautiful things inspires me to not only find the beauty in life, but also to bring this beauty into my writing and other creative projects.
Happy creating!
I just had a piece published by Chicago Literary Map.
If you haven’t heard of Chicago Literary Map, you should check it out. Here’s what it’s all about:
“Beyond the bright lights and cityscapes, stories unfold. Some are true, others are fiction, showing you a side of the city that often goes untold. Chicago Literary Map is charting the text and putting it in the palm of your literary-loving hand.
Navigate Chicago on a new level, guided by the voices who have been, where updates bring new vignettes from around the city.”
Rad, huh?
Please check out my piece called Ohio Street.
If you’d like to more about the creator of CLM, Stephanie Plenner, please follow her on Twitter: @splenner. You can also follow Chicago Literary Map here: @literarymap.
Your turn. What was it like where you grew up in Chicago?
30. Moisturize. Enough said.
29. Recognize your part in everything and take responsibility for your action and inaction.
28. Exercise is a necessity. If you work your body, you will work your mind.
27. Fun is essential.
26. There are a lot of bullies in adulthood. Don’t let people treat and talk to you any old way and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Remember, if you don’t, who will?
25. Fresh foods are the key to healthy living.
24. Go to the doctor and the dentist regularly.
23. Don’t say you’re sorry unless you mean it. It comes off as disingenuous and everybody knows that a phony apology is worse than no apology at all.
22. Having good friends is important.
21. ABL. Always be laughing.
20. Don’t talk to people any old way. They’ll always remember the way you made them feel – disrespected and insignificant.
19. Sometimes it’s better said with a look. Remember the folks from The Office?
18. Take a moment for yourself during the day and go to bed on time to ensure that you’ll always be and feel your best.
17. Travel and make photo books.
16. Some people will disagree with the decisions you’ve made and are making in your life. This is okay.
15. Love yourself.
14. Sometimes you’ll go through a rough patch. Just remember – it’s temporary.
13. Splurge on good coffee. Trust me, you will not regret it.
12. Believe in yourself. Now take a chance.
11. It is okay to indulge sometimes.
10. Listen to what people are saying and not what you think they are saying.
9. Your spouse/partner/significant other is one of the only people you’ve chosen to have in your life. Remember that and treat them as such.
8. Your body tells you everything. Pay attention to it when it’s shouting at you.
7. There are many young, brilliant minds. Respect the youth.
6. If somebody hurts your feelings, be confident and tell them straight away. Under no circumstances should you let those feelings fester.
5. Your tongue can be just as cutting as a knife. Choose your words wisely.
4. Always be in control of your emotions.
3. Life plans are amazing.
2. Have a running list of nouns that make you happy and refer to it often.
1. When you love the people in your life, love them hard because they won’t be around forever and chances are you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
That’s what I’ve learned in the past five years. What about you? What did you learn in your 30’s or are learning?
*Note: all images were created by me – Janina R. Williams. Please contact me for permission before using.
One of the best things about living in Chicago or any big city is having access to a plethora of restaurants, live theater shows, concerts, literary readings, sporting events, art installations, transportation, cultural events, and shopping among other things.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen some pretty fascinating stuff that has blown my mind. I’d like to share two of those things with you.
At the Bulls vs. Nets game, I got to see one of the funniest shorts put on by Big Ben and Benji the bull. Check them out below:
To learn more about Benny, Big Ben, Benji and the entire Bulls family, check out this site: iwantbenny.com.
Another cool thing I got to see was this incredible light sculpture at the Chicago Auto Show. I’ve never seen anything like it and I had to get it on video. Turns out, it was created by Chuck Hoberman, of the Chuck Hoberman Sphere. Check out what it does and be amazed:
Well folks, there you have it.
If I find any other cool things around Chi-town, (and I’m sure I will) I’ll be sure to post a video.
Stay tuned for more awesomeness and in the meantime, peace and happiness.
The first challenge was posted on Rachael Harrie’s Blog. Here’s what it entailed:
The Challenge
In 300 words or less, tell us:
· one secret
· one lie
· one interesting quirk
· one annoying habit
· one of your best character traits, and
· one of your favourite things in the whole world.
The post can be in any format, including poetry (for those poets among us), but must include the random words, “bloviate,” “fuliguline,” “rabbit,” and “blade” (tee hee).
Finish your post with something along the lines of, “I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?” (this last bit isn’t included in the word count). And don’t forget to tell us the answer in your next post!
So here is mine:
Some days I feel like a fuliguline, swimming around the sea of life, darting from one edge to the next, unable to stop and enjoy the sunset. There are so many things to read and write and so many projects to take on, but not enough time to do it. I wish there were more like forty hours in a day. Those extra hours could make a huge difference. Though I wonder, where does the time go?
A few minutes here and there adds up quickly. Fortunately, I have great organizational skills and a knack for multi-tasking. I’m not trying to bloviate, but I am quite good. You will never find multiple piles of paper or magazine stacks in my abode. I can’t work if my house is a mess, so I am crazy about organization. It’s that whole clear house, clear mind thing.
Some days, I take a seat at my desk and ponder about life. If I’m lucky, my muse will come out to play. Speaking of muses, I think mine is a stylish rabbit that wears a tuxedo because he doesn’t believe in saving his good clothes for special occasions. He drinks out of a flute and collects peculiar accessories like vintage letter blade openers and old typewriters. He also has a collection of monocles for editing purposes. I’m not sure where I’d be without him.
Now some facts about me, I love candy. It is one of my most favorite things in the world. I also love talking, but often times I ramble. As you might expect, this can be rather annoying. But I’m working on just simmering down and listening. As with most things, it’s a work in progress.
And by the way, I may have revealed something about myself that isn’t true; can you guess what it is?
So I got published. You can find me in Smith Magazine’s Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure.
I’m not just saying this because I’m in it, but I found the book highly entertaining.
You can purchase it here:
